Let Go of These 10 Items to Jumpstart Decluttering

Decluttering is usually the first step people take to simplify their lives. It is often the easiest and most effective place to begin. Removing the excess from our homes naturally encourages us to look at the more challenging, often hidden things that also complicate our lives: debt, busyness, mental clutter, just to name a few. But it often starts with physical possessions.

Decluttering teaches us how to let go and create space. Owning less helps us save time and feel lighter. And it often causes us to rediscover the joy of giving.

If you feel overwhelmed with stuff or struggle when it comes to letting go, start with some of the items that don’t come with major emotional attachment—or at least, the items without positive emotional attachment.

If you are looking for a good place to start, let go of these 10 items to jumpstart decluttering:

1. Clothes you don’t wear. Clothing is a great place to begin. Most of us have too much of it, but we still wear the same things over and over again. Donate the jeans that don’t zip. Toss the socks with holes. Remove the outdated fashion. And if you have an extra coat or hat, give it away. There are lots of people who could use it this time of year.

2. Unidentifiable items in your junk drawer. It might be too soon to jettison the entire junk drawer, but you can easily remove the items that have no name, no place, and no meaning instead of saving them just in case you remember why you put them there in the first place. If you don’t know today, you won’t know tomorrow.

3. Lotions and potions. Get all of your lotions, potions, makeup, shampoo, and other products into one place. Put the things you use every day back where they belong. Toss the rest.

4. Lonely items. If it can’t be used without a match, and the match is long gone, it’s time to let go. Think cassette tapes without a cassette player, Tupperware tops without containers, and lone socks.

5. Kid stuff. Instead of shaming your kids into decluttering, make it fun for them. Announce a prize for every 10 things they can collect for donation. The prize can be a family activity or your child’s favorite meal. If you have more than one child, offer a bonus if everyone hits their goal to encourage them to work together.

6. Stale food. Set a timer for 15 minutes and go through your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator. Dump anything out of date, or opened and stale. If you find things that are good but you’ll never eat, bag it up and drop it at a homeless shelter or church.

7. Extra dishes. If you have two sets of dishware, silverware, or glassware, one can go. If you love your good dishes, use those everyday. If they are stuck in a box somewhere and you never use them, give them to someone who will.

8. Other people’s stuff. If your home has become a storage facility for friends and family, make a few phone calls. Be kind, give notice, and politely ask them to remove their stuff or offer to help if they aren’t interested.

9. Things that bring you down. Sentimental items are usually saved for later on in the decluttering process, but letting go of things that remind you of people, places, and events that have hurt you in the past will make room for more joyful memories.

10. The guilt. This might not fall in the “easy” category, but if you let it go now, it will make the rest of the journey more meaningful. You paid enough already with time, money, and attention. Guilt is the worst payment of all. With guilt, you continue to pay with emotion, by holding onto the past and by punishing yourself for old habits. Say goodbye to guilt.

Letting go of these items will lighten things up and encourage more decluttering, more simplicity, and more freedom. Once they are gone, celebrate your progress and dig back in.

A simple life is waiting.

***

Also, if you are tired of the clutter in your home and looking for a helpful solution, on September 4th, we will be launching a 12-week course called Uncluttered to help you own less, live more, and find the life you’ve always wanted. Find out more here.

The course includes videos, interview, live webinars, practical articles, weekly challenges, accountability, and an engaged community. All strategically packaged for one purpose: to help you declutter your home and start living a better life. Find out more here.

About Joshua Becker

Writer. Inspiring others to live more by owning less.WSJ Bestselling author of The More of Less.

Comments

Hello Joshua
Soy de Argentina, Rosario
I’ve been reading your articles since I’ve found you
And am on my way decluttering
I just wanted to tell you that I’ve just found this youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWMDzSPg_K8
although I didn’t watch it, the information is the same as in this article of yours. I think the girl took it from here but she did not make a mention of you. That bothers me a bit that’s why I feel like telling you. I also commented that in the video.
Un saludo : )

Easy to read simple yet some of it hit me hard. I was recently hurt by being excluded by my sisters in going to a storage where my fathers clothes were stored I wanted to see what was there and maybe an item or two. I already have a few of his things at home some of the last things he wore and a hat I where on my early morning walks . I realize now that is wasn’t so much the things I wanted but the experience of seeing his beautiful suits and ties and remembering the man that wore them one more time. I have been working really hard on becoming a minimalist but it hasn’t been easy when your sentimental . Great simple article Thanks

Losing a loved one is definitely tough, and I see the direct correlation to clutter. Seeing/possessing of an item/s is not going to change the memory of your dad. Truly these are “just things”. I can understand how this would be upsetting for you not to have that opportunity, and maybe even cause tension between family members. Treasure what you do have like pictures, letters, and memories. If you want something tangible you can put together a photo book/ scrapbook and include pictures of things similar to what your father had. I collected some pictures from online of silly things like black licorice, the type of straw hat my dad wore to the beach, the type of cigarettes he smoked. It was comforting.

Adrian, that was an excellent suggestion to make a photo collage of sorts using things similar to what your loved one enjoyed! It would almost feel like a project you were doing together. GReat idea that wouldn’t take up a lot of space but would make you smile when you walked by!

Bless you, the longing for those special memories can be overwhelming, can’t it?
I was able to call a Methodist preacher in my community whom I thought might be able to use a few items from my dad’s wardrobe of suits, shirts, ties.
The clothing was a perfect fit unbelievably, all four seasons of clothing. He was quite overwhelmed with the gift and I with the joy of knowing my dad’s collection would be used on for years!

Great article! I love de-cluttering. I began initially by throwing away items from friends who had hurt, insulted or who sucked the living spirit out of me. What a relief! Now I don’t bring anything into the house unless something else leaves. Thanks again!

I didn’t know what you meant when you said most people have way too many clothes until I ventured a peek in my closet and dresser. I hardly ever go in my closet, yet there are clothes packed in there. It’s the same with most drawers of my dresser. I hover in the same two dresser, rotating maybe five favorite things. I decided to round up all the clothes and put them on the bed, and in my clothes quest I managed to unearth two boxes of clothes that had never been opened from the move. Two years ago. I wish I took a picture of the mountain, but I’m really glad I didn’t. It looked like a quarter of a Goodwill store. Needless to say, I rounded up twenty-two large boxes of clothes and donated them.

I did the same thing ! Love what I kept and it is going to be so easy to maintain. Possibly a real money saver too in that earlier today I picked up several items and just before checking out at register I put the items back on the rack. Smiled and thought …I have everything I need. Go for it every one. Feels great !

My goal when I started purging six month ago was to be able to have the main floor tidy with 15 minutes notice if company was going to drop by. Im so much more social and welcoming now knowing I don’t have to be embarrassed by my house and can find joy in a short notice stop by and not have to refuse or feel that my private space has been invaded.

My parents had a great marriage and my mom was widowed at age 67. Instead of letting my dad’s clothes sit in the closet for years, she selected a sweater and plaid shirt he like to wear (when they went camping) kept those two items (and wore them a lot) and promptly donated the rest. I have a friend who still has all her late husband’s clothes in the closet (he’s been gone almost 20 years). What a shame – those clothes could have done so much good for someone; instead they just sit; probably dusty, moth/bug damaged and waiting to be thrown out by someone else when she is too old to do it herself. Sad.

My husband died of cancer 4 years ago. We had a great marriage, but he was a bit of a hoarder and would never let me throw things away. I must say I can relate to your mom’s sense of power and freedom when it came to getting rid of a lot of his stuff. Kept some special things that were sentimental, but most special are photos, some recordings of his sermons, and all the great memories.

My mother donated my father’s clothes one week after he passed away. We only kept two items and gave his brand new coat to his brother. I know the clothes we gave away will be used by someone who really needs them, and that’s what he would have wanted for us to do. Both my parents have always been very organized and minimalists. It’s inspiring and good role models.

Thank you for your post. I’m transforming into a minimalist. I realize less is more. I plan to retire in 3 year’s. I going to get my 4 bedroom house decluttered and minimize my life and downsize to a moblehome. This will allow for my husband and I to have the freedom to travel like a Gipsy. Becoming a minimalist will help our retirement dreams come true. Go’s bless you.

I read somewhere (pinterest I think) something similar to number three but with your kitchen utensils – so many we collect!! Put them all in a box somewhere else in your kitchen. After a month, you keep the ones you have gone into the box for (that you USED) and the rest can go to the thrift store. I can/jar food so I had to exempt my canning tongs and the like that I use twice a year but it really works! And for number five – bribing isn’t the answer. Leave your kids to figure it out for themselves – by following your example. Besides, a ‘prize’ is just more clutter, eh? Unless it was a pizza party or something. I like the idea of having one day a month to go through and collect items for the thrift store. Put it on the calendar on the fridge so everyone knows it’s coming up.

I read your blog every day. Thank you! Regarding throwing out socks with holes in them, I agree, but Inhave a friend who had breast cancer. I made pillows for her post surgery recovery and used the holey socks to stuff them with. These are great suggestions and I’m going to share it on my Facebook page.